Page 10 of A Celtic Secret
One so familiar she could hardly breathe.
“King’s Heart,” she whispered.
“Ta.” Aodh stumbled to his feet and tried to grab her again, but she dodged his grasp.
“What are ye doing, lass?” he growled. “’Tis not that much further to safety.”
He grabbed her around the waist, but she squirmed out of his arms. She would join them eventually but not yet. Not until she saw through this half-thrilling, half-terrifying need that only grew stronger by the moment.
A need she could use to everyone’s advantage, she reasoned.
She met her sister’s eyes and spoke within the mind. Hoped Madison understood.“Don’t you see, this is the perfect opportunity to figure out the dynamics between me, Declán, and Raghnall? Because the two are still allies. I can feel it.”Despite her own fear, she gave her sister a reassuring look, certain of what she had to do next.“You have to let me go to them.”
“Go to them?”Madison shook her head, incredulous.“Absolutely not.”Her eyes rounded.“If for no other reason than Siobhán. She tried to kill me, Cian, our whole kingdom, and she’ll do the same to you. Trust me. That woman’s pure evil.”
“Only if she can get around Declán and Raghnall.”She felt more certain by the moment she was right.“They’ll protect me, Madison. I’m sure of it.”
Madison’s eyes welled when Riona came to her feet and backed away.
“Don’t,” her sister pleaded. “Please don’t do this.”
“Your sister’s right, Riona.” Cian appeared equally distraught. “’Twill very likely be a death sentence, lass. One you do not deserve.”
When Aodh tried to grab her again and hit an invisible wall, she froze.
Declán and Raghnall were here. She felt them in every sinew of her body. In every inch of her soul.
Something confirmed when she glanced over her shoulder.
Chapter Four
DECLÁN DID HIS bestto stay focused and keep his wits about him when he finally laid eyes on Riona. When, at long last, she was more than a hazy lass caught in the magic of King’s Heart. More than just the woman he had long dreamt about.
Long craved with near-crippling desire.
While her dress was different, her physical appearance was just as stunning as it had been in his slumber. In his every waking thought. From her long, curly, ebony hair to her thickly lashed bright blue eyes, she was a rare beauty. Her features were delicate, and her small frame was just curvy enough.
